Emulsion separator



21, 1951 J. C-{VANDEN BERG 2,564,936

EMULSION SEPARATOR Filed March 24, 1948 PIE "'2 -/Z H (3 /4 INVENTOR. JOHN C V/r/voz/vfieea V NTOK,

Patented Aug. 21, 1951 EMULSION SEPARATOR J ohn-C. Van'den Berg, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to -Waste Conditioning Inc.', Indianapolis; Ind

a corporation ApplicationMarch24, 1948, Serial No. 16,777

3"Claims. 1 This invention relates to an emulsion separator. In the renovation and/or cleaning ofjournal box waste for example hot oil is frequently used to melt the ice, soften grease and remove moisture from the said waste subject to reclamation.

Heretofore one ofthe chief objections to the use of hot oil for. such purpose has been that the oil and moistureremovedfrom used journal box packing is already in a partially emulsifiedstate, and" this conditionis aggravated by the use of a centrifugalextractor in separating the used'oil and itsmoisture content from the used'waste, either while running a break-down preparatory to the washing'operation, .or during an operation ifthe washing is efi'ected'by use of a centrifugal extracton.

Separationof such a resulting liquid heretofore could not beefiected rapidly andeconomi cally. The chief object of the present invention thereforis to rapidly and economically effect such separation.

The chief feature. of the present invention is to drive off the moisture as a vapor from the emulsion by causing thin films thereof to be subjected to high heat.

Other objects and .features of the invention will be set forth more fully. hereinafter.

The fullnature of the invention .will'beunder- In the drawings Fig. 1 isa transverse sectional View through. an emulsionseparating apparatus embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is .a longitudinal sectional view taken .on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 of thedrawings and inLthedirection' of the arrows.

In the drawings I indicates a pair of base brackets to which is. secured the. cross member in the form ofreversed angles HI Supported by the same is a tank I2 see-Fig; 1. not necessarily, same has a bottom intake l3-for receptionof the emulsion. Vertically disposedin said vertically disposed tank is a heating unit 14. Same may comprise parallel or series connected steam coils, or electrically operated heating rods, preferably connected in parallel.

Near the top of tank I2 is a full width discharge l5 and a transfer trough I6 which provides gravity flow to a downwardly directed full width channel ll, same at the bottom haying full width communication with the bottom of vertical tank l8 at l9. Disposed in tank I8 is a heating structure 20 similar to heating structure 14 in tank [2.

Tank H3 at its upper end and substantially coextensive with the length thereof has overflow Preferably-but opening or outlet 2|. A trough zzdischarges to a hopper likechamber 23 having overflow outlet 24. The trough has a bottom 25 with discharges holes 26- that in turn discharges to a vertical series of heating coils 28. Therebeneath is collection device 2'! having a suitable discharge 21a.

The heating structure 28 is similar to structures I4 and20. These may be connected in parallel or series or series-parallel relation and may have the-sameor different operating temperatures as desired or required.

Over allof these tanks and/or heating columns there may be disposed a vacuum subjected canopy, hood or cover 36. Thus when the emulsion relation is broken down and moisture is freed it is vaporized and then is drawn off through the cover 3i see Fig. 1. The water-freed oil is collected at 2? and drawn or drained ofi at 21a as desired or required and subjected to'furtherpurification.

The present apparatus; therefore, ,providesan eflicient, continuous operable separator forthe separation of a water-oil emulsion and removal ofthe water when so separated.

While, herein but two successive tanks l2 and I8 are illustrated, each having a heater and struoture therein and in effect a third open channel over coils 28 and the flow is from one end to the other thereover, the number of stages may be increased at will. Also while the flow in all but the last stage is upward, flow in said stages may be reversed and drawoff'to the last stage will be from the bottom of the next succeeding stage device and discharge to the hopper 23.

The effectiveness of the present apparatus resides-in the flowing of a thin film of an emulsion at the desired temperature over successive heater structures so that the additional heat will break down the emulsion-phase or'state thereby releasing the moisture and gases and the vaporizing of' the moisture so that said vapor and the freed gases may escape or be drawn off as desired.

While the apparatus has been described as of the heat cycle addition type, whenever desired or required the structures I4, 28 and/or 28 may be of the refrigerating type for certain refrigerated separable emulsions.

Such emulsions need not necessarily be of oil and water but may be of other character just so long as the emulsion is temperature change separable into its components.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention. Reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A demulsifier comprising a plurality of vertically disposed tanks including an intake tank, an intermediate tank and a discharge tank, the intake tank having side walls relatively closely spaced to provide an elongated relatively nar row passage for the oil and upwardly therethrough and having an intake at its bottom, said tank being open at its top for overflow discharge, a plurality of heat exchange units disposed in vertically spaced relation in said tank, one above the other and occupying a substantial portion of the tank between the side walls thereof, a relatively narrow conduit coextensive with the length of said intake tank having a relatively narrow cross section, an intake at its top receiving the overflow from said intake tank and a discharge opening at its bottom, an intermediate tank of relatively narrow cross section communicating at its bottom with the discharge end of said conduit and having an overflow opening at its top, heat exchange elements disposed in vertical spaced relation one above the other in said intermediate tank, the discharge tank hav ing a discharge opening at its lower end and an elongated receiving trough extending longitudinally thereof and. receiving the overflow discharge from the top of said intermediate tank and provided with trickle openings in its bottom, vertically spaced heat exchange units disposed one above another in said discharge tank and in vertical alignment with the trickle discharge opening in said trough.

2. A demulsifier comprising a plurality of vertically disposed tanks including an intake tank, an intermediate tank and a discharge tank, the intake tank having side walls relatively closely spaced to provide an elongated relatively narrow passage for the oil and upwardly therethrough and having an intake at its bottom, said tank being open at its top for overflow discharge, a plurality of heat exchange units disposed in vertically spaced relation in said tank, one above the other and occupying a substantial portion of the tank between the side walls thereof, a relatively narrow conduit coextensive with the length of said intake tank having a relatively narrow cross section, an intake at its top receiving the overflow from said intake tank and a discharge opening at its bottom, an intermediate tank of relatively narrow cross section communicating at its bottom with the discharge end of said conduit and having an overflow opening at its top, heat exchange elements disposed in vertical spaced relation one above the other in said intermediate tank, the discharge tank having a discharge opening at its lower end and an elongated receiving trough extending longitudinally thereof and receiving the overflow discharge from the top of said intermediate tank and provided with trickle openings in its bottom, vertically spaced heat exchange units disposed one above another in said discharge tank and in vertical alignment with the trickle discharge opening in said trough, and a single canopy covering the tops of all of said troughs.

3. A demulsifier comprising a plurality of vertically disposed tanks including an intake tank, an intermediate tank and a discharge tank, the intake tank having side walls relatively closely spaced to provide an elongated relatively narrow passage for the oil and upwardly therethrough and having an intake at its bottom, said tank being open at its top for overflow discharge, a plurality of heat exchange units disposed in vertically spaced relation in said tank, one above the other and occupying a substantial portion of the tank betweenrthe side walls thereof, a relatively narrow conduit coextensive with the length of said intake tank having a relatively narrow cross section, an intake at its top re ceiving the overflow from said intake tank and a discharge opening at its bottom, an intermediate tank of relatively narrow cross section communicating at its bottom with the discharge end of said conduit and having an overflow opening at its top, heat exchange elements disposed in vertical spaced relation one above the other in said intermediate tank, the discharge tank having a discharge opening at its lower end and an elongated receiving trough extending longitudinally thereof and receiving the over flow discharge from the top of said intermediate tank and provided with trickle openings in its bottom, vertically spaced heat exchange units disposed one above another in said discharge tank and in vertical alignment with the trickle discharge opening in said trough, and a collecting trough at the bottom of said discharge tank.

JOHN C. VANDEN BERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A DEMULSIFIER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED TANKS INCLUDING AN INTAKE TANK, AN INTERMEDIATE TANK AND A DISCHARGE TANK, THE INTAKE TANK HAVING SIDE WALLS RELATIVELY NARSPACED TO PROVIDE AN ELONGATED RELATIVELY NARROW PASSASE FOR THE OIL AND UPWARDLY THERETHROUGH AND HAVING AN INTAKE AT ITS BOTTOM, SAID TANK BEING OPEN AT ITS TOP FOR OVERFLOW DISCHARGE, A PLURALITY OF HEAT EXCHANGGE UNITS DISPOSED IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION IN SAID TANK, ONE ABOVE THE OTHER AND OCCUPYING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE TANK BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF, A RELATIVELY NARROW CONDUIT COEXTENSIVE WITH THE LENGHT OF SAID INTAKE TANK HAVING A RELATIVELY NARROW CROSS SECTION, AN INTAKE AT ITS TOP RECEIVING THE OVERFLOW FROM SAID INTAKE TANK AND A DISCHARGE OPENING AT ITS BOTTOM, AN INTERMEDIATE TANK OF RELATIVELY NARROW CROSS SECTION COMMUNICATING AT ITS BOTTOM WITH THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID CONDUIT AND HAVING AN OVERFLOW OPENING AT ITS TOP, HEAT EXCHANGE ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN VERTICAL SPACED RELATION ONE ABOVE THE OTHER IN SAID INTERMEDIATE TANK, THE DISCHARGE TANK HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AT ITS LOWER END AND AN ELONGATED RECEIVING TROUGH EXTENDING LONGTUDINALLY THEREOF AND RECEIVING THE OVERFLOW DISCHARGE FROM THE TOP OF SAID INTERMEDIATE TANK AND PROVIDED WITH TRICKLE OPENINGS AT ITS BOTTOM, VERTICALLY SPACED HEAT EXCHANGE UNITS DISPOSED ONE ABOVE ANOTHER IN SAID DISCHARGE TANK AND IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE TRICKLE DISCHAGRE OPENING IN SAID TROUGH. 